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buckle

buck·le/ˈbʌkəl/noun, verb

buckle is spelled B-U-C-K-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (buck·le). It appears 3.2 times per million words in written English, the 14,928th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, buckle means “A metal clasp with a hinged tongue or a spike through which a belt or strap is passed and penetrated by the tongue or spike, in order to fasten the…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of buckle is buckles.

How many letters and syllables are in buckle?

Letters6: B-U-C-K-L-E
Syllables2: buck·le
In writing3.2 times per million words; the 14,928th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Sounds like

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is buckle?

Buckle appears 3.2 times per million words in written English, the 14,928th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce buckle?

  • /ˈbʌkəl/
  • [ˈbʌkɫ̩]

Buckle has 2 syllables, split buck·le in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-buckle.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with buckle

Sounds like: buccal (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of buckle

  • buckles plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • buckling participle, present
  • buckled participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does buckle mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A metal clasp with a hinged tongue or a spike through which a belt or strap is passed and penetrated by the tongue or spike, in order to fasten the ends of the belt together or to secure the strap to something else.

  2. 2

    Some other form of clasp used to fasten two things together.

  3. 3

    CanadaAn image of a clasp (etymology 1, noun sense 1) used as the brisure of an eighth daughter.

  4. 4

    A great conflict or struggle.

  5. 5

    A distortion; a bend, bulge, or kink.

    We can’t use that saw any more. It’s got a buckle in its blade.

  6. 6

    An upward, elongated displacement of a roof membrane, frequently occurring over deck joints or insulation, which may indicate movement of the roof assembly.

  7. 7

    CanadaUSUsually preceded by a descriptive word: a cake baked with fresh fruit (often blueberries) and a streusel topping.

  8. 8

    obsoleteA curl of hair, especially a kind of crisp curl formerly worn; also (countable, uncountable), the state of hair being curled in this manner.

verb

  1. 1

    To fasten (something) using a buckle (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1); hence (obsolete), to fasten (something) in any way.

  2. 2

    To apply (oneself) to, or prepare (oneself) for, a task or work; also (obsolete), to equip (oneself) for a battle, expedition, etc.

  3. 3

    UKTo unite (people) in marriage; to marry.

  4. 4

    To apply oneself to or prepare for a task or work.

  5. 5

    UKTo unite with someone in marriage; to marry.

  6. 6

    To participate in some contest or labour; to join in close fight; to contend.

  7. 7

    To cause (something) to bend, or to become distorted.

  8. 8

    obsoleteTo curl (hair).

  9. 9

    Of a thing (especially a slender structure under compression): to collapse or distort under physical pressure.

  10. 10

    Of a person: to (suddenly) cease resisting pressure or stress; to give in or give way, to yield.

    It is amazing that he has never buckled after so many years of doing such urgent work.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Buckle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchboucle (metal clasp with a hinged tongue or a spike), boucler (to fasten (something) using a buckle; to fasten…), déformer, gauchir (to cause (something) to bend, or to become…), se déformer (of a thing: to collapse or distort under…), céder (of a person: to (suddenly) cease resisting…)
GermanSchnalle (metal clasp with a hinged tongue or a spike), biegen (to cause (something) to bend, or to become…), sich biegen (of a thing: to collapse or distort under…), nachgeben, zusammenbrechen (of a person: to (suddenly) cease resisting…)
Portuguesefivela (metal clasp with a hinged tongue or a spike), afivelar (to fasten (something) using a buckle; to fasten…), entortar (of a thing: to collapse or distort under…)
Spanishhebilla (metal clasp with a hinged tongue or a spike), hebillar (to fasten (something) using a buckle; to fasten…), doblegar, acombar, cambar (to cause (something) to bend, or to become…)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does buckle come from?

The noun is derived from Middle English bokel (“spiked metal ring for fastening; ornamental clasp; boss of a shield; a shield, buckler; (figurative) means of defence”) [and other forms], from Old French boucle, bocle (“spiked metal ring for fastening; boss of a shield; a shield”) [and other forms], from Latin buccula (“cheek strap of a helmet; boss of a shield”) (from bucca (“soft part of the cheek”)). Noun etymology 1, noun sense 2 (“great conflict or struggle”) is probably derived from verb etymology 1, verb sense 1.2.1 (“to apply (oneself) to, or prepare (oneself) for, a task or work”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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